New Ways of Mapping Social Inclusion
NUI Maynooth/Dublin City Development Board/Dublin City Council
Launch New Mapping Technique To Inform Government Policies
A new system developed by NUI Maynooth on behalf of Dublin City Development Board and Dublin City Council enables the targeting of those most in need of social services.
Using new Small Area data units researchers can track which parts of the city are experiencing the largest growth in Live Register claimants. In addition, by utilising geo-directory and travel to work data they can map which areas are well and poorly served by services such as hospitals, schools, public transport, and recreational facilities. The maps show that areas of already high unemployment are also the areas of the highest number of new claims and that these areas are often poorly served by public services.
The research was undertaken by NIRSA (the National Institute for Regional and Spatial Analysis) and published by Dublin City Development Board and Dublin City Council.
Up to now, planning and evaluation for social inclusion programmes has been done through the five-yearly census which are quickly outdated and inaccurate in terms of the level of information they provide. Small Areas data has the following advantages:
- It’s more focused - census research is typically undertaken at County or Electoral Division scale (typically 3,000 to 4,000 people, but often many more). Small Areas are at a scale of 100 – 120 households
- It is richer – it allows resources to be accurately deployed according to the populations that need them
- It faster – census based research is done every five years and does not keep pace with change. The Live Register is updated weekly.
Such data will have widespread application with respect to formulating policy interventions with respect to social services, employment, public transport, housing, health, crime, education and training, planning, and the inter-relationships between these issues.
A number of recommendations have emerged from the study. These include:
- The development of a deprivation index that extends beyond census data to include measures of access to services and other data relating to health, housing, crime and education.
- Working with governmental departments to examine how their data can be geocoded and mapped at the Small Area scale.
- Extending the analysis to rural areas to ensure that the methods developed can be rolled out systematically for the entire state.
It is anticipated that the 2011 census will be outputted into the Small Areas, providing for the first time, a very detailed understanding of the micro-geography of the social and economic landscape of Ireland. Such data will significantly improve the evidence base used in the formulation of government policy.
Downloads
Download the Report "New Ways of Mapping Social Inclusion" in pdf format below:
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"New Ways of Mapping Social Inclusion pdf | 1.88Mb |
Download the powerpoint presentation "New Ways of Mapping Social Inclusion" below:
| "New Ways of Mapping Social Inclusion" ppt | 2.2Mb |
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